Going Beyond Time
by ravenria
Summary: 25 years after the death of the 99th emperor of britannia, Zero is visited by the Gray witch. A one-shot... lengthened ending... no real pair but with hints of LLXCC and KSXEB


Disclaimer: None of the following character belong to me. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise

Going beyond time

After 25 years of having lived as a dead man, Zero's ritualistic life is disturbed by the image of green haired witch in the crowd. There was a parade, Zero was on the float with the Emperess... the same street, the same hour... everything was the same, only 25 years later. He was certain of what he saw. Thus, with the resolve of wanting to find out about the mystery of the gray witch's whereabouts, Zero excused himself ones the parade took a turn.

He found the woman easily. She was dressed in a white satin dress with a heavy spanish veil covering her face. Only her green hair made her stand-out for someone like Zero. She kept ahead of him, about 30 paces, but maintained visibility. Slowly she led him to the deepest, darkest areas of the Shinjuku Ghetto; then disappeared the moment the shadows permitted her to do so, leaving a ghostly giggle to haunt Zero's spines.

"C.C!" Zero shouted, when he got to where his instincts told him he should be. He was at the center of the ghetto, the last undistorted battleground left in the area. Zero could not help but feel nostalgia and fear creep in. It was like that day again, the day the devil was born. He was here, and she was here too. The last missing character was a person he wished to see.

"C.C!" he cried again, a little more impatiently this time. He could not understand why she was here, and he could only think of two possible reasons for her sudden appearance. Both of which he did not like at all.

"Suzaku," the female voice responded at last. It was C.C for sure, but her voice had changed, it became a lot more mature than when he last heard her. Zero, no... Suzaku took a deep breath and removed his mask. It was the first time he had done so in public, it was the first time he was acknowledged again as well.

He realized, how not even Nunnally acknowledged him for who he was. What Lelouche said back then was true, Kururugi Suzaku did indeed die that day he wore Zero's mask. He was a dead man living in another's shadow. He was nothing more than Lelouche's last pawn on earth.

"Why are you here C.C?" he asked out of curiosity. Fear had left him, the geass had been activated.

But instead of remaining in the shadows, C.C walked into the little patch of light, removing her veil as well. The masks have fallen off and for the first time in 25 years, they saw each other. Suzaku was surprised that his guess was correct.

C.C. looked old. She was woman of 45, no longer the alluring cynical witch with perfect skin and hair. Wrinkles had set in below her eyes, and exhaustion was visible in her face. Her once strong look changed into a surrendering gaze- she was not the same. She was mortal.

Suzaku on the other hand, looked as he should have looked- stressed and old, yet still strong and dignified.

"I must say, you surprised me." Suzaku said when he found words to cover his shock.

"As expected Knight," she replied, "but let's leave the chit chat for later." Suzaku could not help but feel better upon hearing the spunk still inside her. Certainly 25 years would not suffice with what 300 could not do.

"Why are you here, C.C?" Suzaku then asked, complying to her no-nonsense talk.

"I want to say goodbye," she asked, her face softening. "I hope to die soon, and you are the only person who needs to know I am gone."

"How?" Suzaku's instincts began ringing again, "How are you going to die?"

"That's none of your business," she replied, still smiling, "the sword has been left to the people, now the shield must protect the world of her master."

Suzaku understood why she came. C.C simply wanted to give him the punishment of knowing that he will now forever be alone. She was informing him that she and Lelouche will be watching him from afar... together. The world was now in his shoulders more than ever.

"Here," C.C spoke reaching out her clenched hand. Suzaku reached out his right to receive her gave, when she opened her hand and grabbed his arm, drawing him on to a kiss. Transporting them to World of C.

"Why are we here?" Suzaku demanded in outrage.

"I was tasked to give you this key," she replied and handed him another mask with a whole in the place of its left eye.

"A geass, so you could be with us when you wish to die," C.C embraced him and began to walk away to the sword of Akasha's temple where a shadowed figure was waiting for him. Suzaku, upon realizing who it was tried to run up to him, but he was back in the Ghetto before he could even make a step.

He was Zero again, complete with mask back on. But he was not the same person he had been for 25 years, he is the sword left on earth by Zero.

"Lelouche, when I'm done... be sure Euphy's there too."


End file.
